John H. Tanton, M.D. is publisher of The Social Contract, and served as editor for its first 8 years. He is a retired eye surgeon whose boyhood on a farm made him into an ardent conservationist and advocate for the environment. John's conviction that continued human population growth was a large part of the conservation problem led him to chair the National Sierra Club Population Committee (1971-74), and to the national board of Zero Population Growth (1973-78, including a term as president from 1975-77). In 1979, as immigration grew to be the significant part of the U.S. population problem, John Tanton founded FAIR to address mass immigration reform. John is the author of numerous articles, editorials and opinion pieces, many of which can be found by searching under John Tanton in The Social Contract archives.

From the back cover: In the foreword to this book, Governor Richard D. Lamm observes two themes: first, it is an insight into how new viewpoints gain a foothold in the world of ideas... and second, it is a lesson on how people from even remote parts of America can assert their ideas by the power of their message, the wisdom of their strategies, and the strength of their personalities.

Raised on family homesteaded farms, Mary Lou and John Tanton developed a love of the land and a sense of place. This affinity for the land eventually led them to the hub of a divisive national controversy involving citizenship, language, culture, family planning, conservation, and American identity. When our successors search for a caring voice in our age, an echo from the Tantons will still be heard.

Please see the Foreword to this biography by Richard D. Lamm. This Foreword discusses John's tendency to ask cosmic questions, forcing us to see the consequences of present change.

John Tanton has also produced a video containing a series of personal interviews on various topics. You can view the video here. If you would like to obtain a copy of this video, please contact the Social Contract.